Ryan Anderson Celebrates Hate Bills

Earlier today, the North Carolina House voted to override the veto of S.B. 2, a bill that protects the religious liberty of civil servants in that state. Because the Senate had already voted to override the veto as well, the bill is now law. This is good public policy, and it is a shame that it was vetoed in the first place. The law will now protect magistrates who object to performing solemnizing ceremonies for same-sex marriages and clerks who object to issuing same-sex marriage licenses. It also makes clear that no one can be denied a marriage license, but magistrates or clerks could recuse themselves from the process behind the scenes should they have sincere objections to same-sex marriage. So it’s a win-win for everyone. No one loses anything. After all, government employees have rights, and those rights should be protected. Had this bill not become law, magistrates and clerks who decline to take part in same-sex marriages could have been removed from office, and “shall” be guilty of a crime that is punishable by up to 120 days in jail.